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| ESUJ Debate 2008: Adults'
Tournament, June 2008 |
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The seventh debate competition for adults, ESUJ Debate 2008, took place
on June 7 (Sat) in the KFC Rooms, Ryogoku. This year, we hosted the biggest adults' debate
ever, with 16 teams.
The teams consisted of high school and university English teachers, businessmen and women,
housewives and foreigners, with the majority of participants having become debaters as
adults.
Making it through to the Final Debate were 'The Perennial Underdog' team of Hiromu Namiki
(member of the third-place team in 2007) and Shiro Kokue as well as 'Maple & Sakura',
consisting of Shigeo Suzuki (also third-place in 2007 and eldest debater) and Canadian
Matthew Chromecki, debating the motion: This House believes that Japanese with
"metabolic syndrome" should pay higher health insurance. (a very suitable motion
for adult debaters?!).
A wonderful, fun-filled debate was made by all four debaters producing continuous guffaws
from the audience. The result by audience vote of 55 out of 86 was that the Proposition
Team 'The Perennial Underdog' were the winners!
Joint third place went to 'UT Shakaijin Sisters' (Sumiko Yanagawa and Akiko Hamahara),
along with 'Debate Gym Japan' (Naoki Matsuura and Magdi Khalil). We thank Ms. Chihiro
Nakagwa, Tournament Director, adult and student volunteers as well as big audience for
making this event a huge success. |
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